Pokemon: the Eternal Darkness
by DarkPrinceRiku
Summary: A story about an average human who is tasked with stopping a great plague from destroying the world. To do this, he must agree to give up his human life and become a pokemon.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes from author: It has been a very long time since I was last here. It's been very stressful and money has been a real issue for a while now. But things should start getting better soon. This story is suppose to carry on what the Eternal Frost would've been, which like Luna, has been discontinued do to reasons I won't even go into detail about.**

 **For anyone who is wondering about the italics, it's a little technique I've been using for a while that I find useful, and it's used to separate narrative from conversation. I also noticed that when I copied and pasted this from google doc, it didn't do it correctly and actually left out some of the text. So after going over this chapter several times, I'm pretty sure I've fixed all the typos, grammar errors, and misprints. But if you see something that seems a little off, please let me know through PM and do not point it out in your reviews. Thank you and enjoy. ^^**

* * *

 _In the farthest reaches of the pokemon world lies a place known as the Realm of the Ancients, a place unreachable by all but the most venerable and divine, ruled by the alpha pokemon, Arceus, whom many believe to be a god of sorts. It has been watching over all the world's creatures big and small for hundreds of thousands of years, and has seen evil in all forms. But something different has caught it's attention, a strange power that could threaten to destroy their way of pokemon seem to be turning aggressive, attacking anything that crosses them. One might even call them savage. These pokemon, for whatever reason, lose all concept of emotion and logic, and will even go so far as to attack, and even kill humans. Arceus has called upon several others for help with the situation. Darkrai and Cresselia were asked to find out more about the savage pokemon, while Xerneas and Giratina were to help Arceus look for a special hero that could make a difference. However, search as they might, they were unable to find a pokemon that suited their needs. That's when Arceus decided to look elsewhere…_

 _Darkrai and Cresselia had just returned from their investigation._ "Welcome back," _Arceus greeted,_ "Have you learned anything?"

"Yes, but not much, I'm afraid." _Darkrai answered._ "Cresselia and I have spoken with some of the pokemon who survived encounters with these things, and it appears to spread like a virus. Those who survive the attacks are turned, but so far it only seems to affect those of the dark and ghost type."

"And what of the humans?"

"There's no report of any surviving an attack, nor are there any corrupted."

 _The alpha said nothing for a moment, taking some time to process the information._ "Thank you Darkrai. Cresselia. Let me know if you learn anything new." _The two gave a respectful bow and disappeared shortly after. Arceus stared into a glowing orb as he continued his search, until a human appeared. He had short brown hair and dark eyes, and thin chin scruff. He was average in height, at least five feet and ten inches, and had an average build, not very big, but neither was he skin and bones. There was_ _something peculiar about him. Arceus was actually quite curious, and began to watch more closely…_

* * *

 _The human was a local of the Hoenn region, originally from Lilycove, and was young, but forced into an early retirement due to an injury. His name is Atemis, or as some call him, Atty, and he now owns a cabin in the forest areas near Fortree, hoping to reconnect with nature. Though he use to be a trainer, his true passion was helping pokemon in need. He had even started making his own medicine, which proved just as effective as any store bought potion, perhaps even more so. The wild pokemon loved visiting his garden, some even came to him when they were sick or injured, and he was always happy to treat them. Atty adored pokemon, especially the ones he owned. In truth, he preferred their company over that of other humans. Aside from family and store clerks, he had not had any real human contact in over a year at the very least. The light of the morning sun shined brightly through his bedroom window and hit him in the face. He awoke from his sleep to find a wolf like creature sleeping at the foot of his bed, who woke up around the same time. She had a white underbelly that extended to her muzzle and eyes in a mask like marking. The ears were pointed and dark brown at the tip, pink on the inside, and her eyes were blue. The nose was brown, and she had large tufts of brown fur extending from the sides of her head, three on each side. There was a bushy, white mane covering the neck, and four dark brown rocks poking out of the mane, creating a shape similar to a stylized sun. The lower half of her legs were white, and she had three dark brown claws on each paw and a long, fluffy white tail. This pokemon is his lycanroc, and her loyalty to him was as great as one might expect from a canine companion. She watched him as he sat up, smiling and wagging her tail lazily as he gave her a loving pat on the head._

"Good morning, Luna. Ready for another day?" _The wolf pokemon replied with a happy bark and hopped off the bed. He rolled out from the blankets and gave a yawn as he reached over the side, trying to grasp something that wasn't there, apparently._ "Not again. It must've fallen over." _His hand was greeted by a wet nose. As he looked over, he saw his lycanroc looking up at him and holding a stick like object in her mouth. He smiled, taking it from her and giving her another pat on the head. Luna smiled back at him. He extended the cane and attempted to step out of bed only to lose his balance, but was quickly caught by his pokemon when she ran to his side and allowed him to catch himself over her._ "Thanks Luna. Don't know what I'd do without you." _When he finally managed to get to his feet, he started making his way into the restroom and turned on the sink, splashing some water on his face. He looked himself over in the mirror for a moment, and gave a depressing sigh, then a groan when he felt a sharp pain in his right leg, in the upper thigh, clasping it tightly. A pitiful whine caught his ear. He looked down to find his lycanroc at his feet, giving him a look of concern and droopy ears._ "Don't worry about me. It's just the usual morning stiffness." _Luna's expression remained the same. But despite this, he managed to crack a weak smile at her._ "Of course, you're always gonna worry about me. I'd do the same if it were you, or any of the girls for that matter." _He gave the wolf pokemon a gentle rub on the cheek. She couldn't help but close her eyes and lean into her master's touch._ "You're a good girl, Luna. You always have been." _He looked back into the mirror and grabbed a brush as he started trying to get the knots out of his hair._ "Why don't you go see what the others are up to? I'll be down in a minute and make us all some breakfast." _She managed to perk up a little a gave a happy bark as she darted out and left him alone. He chuckled at her sudden change of mood, continuing on with freshening up. Once he had done his usual routine and got dressed, he headed downstairs, ready to start the day._

* * *

 _Today was a day like any other. Atty was preparing breakfast, and he always served his pokemon first before himself. Six silver dishes were being prepared, each with the name of one of his team. He laid the first one down for his lycanroc, Luna, who was sitting and waiting eagerly at his feet. Another pokemon walked in a moment later._ _She was cat like, with slender legs and dainty paws. Her fur was velvety and lilac. The ears were large and she had purple eyes with white pupils. Tufts of fur are located near the eyes, and a small red gem was embedded in the forehead. Her tail was thin and forked at the end._ _This was his espeon, whom he adopted a few years back after a pokemon rescue center had taken her from her previous trainer, who was cruel and abusive. She stretched out and wagged her tail slowly in the air as she looked up at her trainer. A dish was placed in front of her with name 'Jewel' engraved on the side. She purred as she was petted and started eating._

 _Atty walked into the living room. It had a nice atmosphere. Dark oak flooring, a white rug with red floral print and a coffee table laying atop, and a matching white love seat and recliner. Sitting against the wall was a China cabinet with several contest ribbons and trophies, as well as a few pictures of him when he was younger and a tiny, snowy white fox like pokemon in his arms. Laying on the couch was a much larger fox. Her coat was pale blue, flowing, and curled, and the tips of each of her nine tails was white, as were the bottom half of her long, slender legs, three toed paws, and the tips of the fluffy crest on her head. She had a small mane around her neck, pointed ears, and dark blue eyes._

 _A ninetales form the Alola region, which was much different from the fox pokemon of the other areas that were usually golden with red eyes. This ninetales is his best friend and his first pokemon, a gift received by his grandparents on his tenth birthday after returning from their vacation in Alola. The two have become inseparable ever since, and their friendship is symbolized by the black collar with the pink heart shaped pendant she wears around her neck. She is also a big contest star, a pokemon who is truly excelling in beauty, but not stuck up about it. She hopped off the couch as a dish was laid down for her, the name 'Valentine' engraved. She was given a gentle pat on the head as she started chowing down, and her master moved on to another room._

* * *

 _He couldn't find any of his other pokemon inside, so Atemis decided to look elsewhere, and he had a pretty good idea where to look. He went out back to a large dirt field that served as a sort of training field. He designed this not just for his own pokemon, but for any wild ones that wished to train and hone their skills. The obstacles, which included things like rubber tires, walls, and tubes, used for tunnels, was meant to help improve one's endurance and agility. Nearby was a line of target dummies, made out of material similar to punching bags and tackle dummies, was for move practice. Pokemon could get some practice with their attacks, especially when they learned something new. There was also a small battleground for anyone who wanted to battle, which was currently occupied by a couple of pokemon he recognized._

 _The first was lion like pokemon whose face, hind legs, and torso were all blue, as well as the back of its front legs, while most of the body was covered in shaggy, black fur, which was longer around the shoulders and the base of the tail, forming a mane on her head. The eyes were yellow with red sclera, the muzzle rather blunt, and round ears that were yellow on the inside. There were three yellow half rings on the back of each foreleg, and her long, thin tail is tipped with a yellow four-pointed star. One of the most distinct features was the scar that ran over the lion's nose._

 _This luxray is one of his strongest in terms of raw power, but she is also very egotistical, and often makes herself out to be a lot tougher than she really is. She was the first pokemon he ever captured. As a shinx, she has proven herself time and time again, but as she continued to grow, so did her ego, and her temper. She's obedient only to her master, but even then acts out on her own accord on occasion._

 _Her opponent, who was lying on the ground, covered in scratches and dirt mixed with blood, was a mammalian type pokemon with a body that was a mixture of black and dark blue, and was covered in white fur. There was a ruff around the neck and chest, and a tuft on the top of her head adorned with a bluish-black oval. She had a feline like face with red, almond shaped eyes, a tail like a scythe, and a crescent shaped horn on the side of her head with a large crack that was almost all the way across, from tip to base. The pokemon has broad feet with three claws on each, with spikes protruding from the heels of the hind legs and elbows of the front ones. She wears a collar similar to the ninetales known as Valentine, but this one has a peculiar orb that glows a mixture of white and bluish-black, just like the pokemon wearing it._

 _An absol who had a history of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her kind always seem to appear whenever disaster strikes, but what many fail to realize is that they show up as a warning, not as a catalyst for destruction. Rather than listen to reason, a bunch of townsmen formed a mob that was bent on hunting down any absol in the area, using houndour and growlithe to pick up their scents. This particular absol was chased towards the edge of a drop. With no other options, she jumped off the edge and tumbled all the way down, with nothing to grab on to. She lost consciousness upon hitting the bottom, waking up in a pokemon center about a day later, and learned that she was carried there by Atemis, who happened to be in the area. She was very leery of humans after what happened, but couldn't help but feel trust, and a kinship with him. When she was fit to be on her own, she followed the trainer and was soon recruited on his team._

 _Unfortunately, her horn was damaged during the fall, which as any veteran trainer would know, is the most sensitive part of an absol's body. The damage was irreversible, and has disabled her ability to sense natural disaster. Because of this, she has a lot of self esteem issues, always doubting herself and feeling like a burden, even more so given the fact that she has never been able to successfully mega evolve with the absolite around her neck, despite her powerful bond with her master, which only discouraged her even more._

 _She is often bullied by the luxray for her apparent weakness, and it was no surprise to him to find them having an exhibition, though he wasn't exactly thrilled about it. He stepped in often to separate them whenever the luxray got out of hand, which is just what he did when he saw the lion pokemon step down on the absol's neck while she was down, pressing a paw on the side of her head and planting her into the dirt. There were words exchanged, but since he was human, the most he got out of it was 'lux' and 'ray', though he understood her well enough to know what she was doing. Kicking someone when they were down and adding insult to injury were the things he hated the most about her, and he quickly intervened._

"That's enough, Tess!" _She seemed a little surprised to seem him out so early, and quickly stepped off the poor absol's head before matters were made any worse. She stepped aside as he approached and kneeled by the injured pokemon._ "Are you okay, Abby?" _She responded with a very weak 'ab'. He leered at the lioness for a moment, then helped the absol to her feet._ "You're such a mess. Go on inside. I'll take care of you in a minute." _She limped slowly to the house, trying very hard not to fall over. He then glared at the luxray, who seemed as if she was proud of herself. He laid the bowl on the ground that had 'Tess' engraved into it._ "I've got a lot of things to do today, but you and I are gonna have a serious talk when I'm done." _She scoffed and rolled her eyes as he walked away._

* * *

 _There was only one left, and he knew exactly where to find her. Atty went to the garden where he was sure she'd be. There were lots of flowers in bloom, and basking amongst them was a creature with a tan body and brown paws. She had several green sprouts growing all over with the longest one on her head, in front of four tan tufts of fur. The ears and tail had a leaf like appearance, and the eyes and small nose were brown. This was Atty's leafeon, and is the youngest of his team, referred to as the 'little sister'. She is known to be extremely shy and prefers to keep to herself most of the time, and finds the most comfort in the garden, which her trainer made just for this purpose._

 _As an eevee, she was the prime target for a pokemon hunter who sought her as extremely valuable due to the rare encounter of the female variant. The little vee ran for her life from an ursaring the poacher sent after her. Eventually she was drawn out of the forest and into an open field, bumping into Atty. She hid behind him when the ursaring caught up. Atty confronted the hunter, who didn't back down and ordered his pokemon to use a hyper beam. Atty, who refused to step aside, shielded the eevee from the attack and was blasted off his feet and into a rock formation, shattering his leg on impact. Before any further damage could be done, the hunter and his ursaring were struck by a thunder wave that came from an officer's magneton. The poacher was arrested and had his pokemon confiscated, and Atty was rushed to the nearest hospital. The little vee accompanied him, perhaps feeling responsible for his injury. Atty was forced to wear a cast and stayed in the hospital for a month or so before he was seen fit to move on again. The eevee felt inclined to stay with him, and so was adopted._

 _But as Atty continued his journey, the condition of his leg gradually grew worse, and soon became unbearable. When he checked himself into another hospital, he discovered a nerve in his leg had been severed, and at that point was beyond repair. It became impossible for him to travel long distances, which led to his early retirement. Perhaps the leafeon stuck with him out of guilt, or maybe pity. But regardless, Atty enjoyed her company, and is especially fond of her. Her shy and quiet nature gives her a special place in his heart._

"Come on out, June. I made it with pecha berries. You're favorite, right?" _The grass pokemon stood up and stretched, hopping out of the garden happily with a greeted 'leaf'. A silver dish was laid down for her, with the name 'Juniper' engraved. He gave her a pat on the head as she dug in to her favorite meal._

* * *

 _Although he had a lot more to do, he remembered his absol needed his attention. He went back into the house with the remaining dish with the name 'Abigail' and left it on the kitchen counter. He found her lying on the floor in his room. He knew this was the only place she really felt safe, as the others don't usually come in here unless he's in the room. He gave her a gentle brush along the back of her neck. Abby jumped a little in surprised, but relaxed once she knew who it was._ "Do you still have the strength to move, Abby?" _She nodded and stood up, with some difficulty however. He helped her into the restroom and into the tub as he started the water and removed her collar, making sure it was just the right temperature so as not to cause any more discomfort. Abby sat comfortably in the warm water as her master started to soak her fur and got the dirt off, and some of the blood from the beating she had sustained. He used a special brand of soap that seemed to magically wash all of her worries away, leaving a pleasant fragrance. Cheri? Pecha? Or perhaps a mixture? She couldn't really tell._

 _Once Atty was sure she was cleaned up enough, he helped Abby out of the tub. Normally she would have shook herself dry like a dog, but alas, she lacked the strength to do so. But her trainer was more than happy to dry her off himself with one of his own towels. Once she was dried off, he escorted her back to his bedroom, leaving her alone momentarily to grab her dish, but not before putting in a special medicine in her food. It was made of a special blend of herbs and berries, and luckily it didn't smell or taste bad, unlike some store brands. He brought it back to her, and laid it in front of the absol._

"I added a little something extra to help you get your strength back. Enjoy." _He gave the absol an affectionate pat on the head. She purred happily and began to slowly dig in._

* * *

 _When his pokemon were all tended to, he went back to the kitchen to serve himself. Once he had filled up, he began his daily routine, including a few household chores. It was almost noon when he finished, and he prepared lunch for everyone. Afterwards, he decided to get some air. There wasn't much for him to do outside other than enjoy the peace and quiet, and watch some of the wild pokemon go about their business. He looked at one of the berry trees, and saw what appeared to be a rattata struggling get a berry from a tree. It gave pout and a little sob. He found himself heading over to the tree and picking a berry for the little pokemon. The rattata cheered happily as it took the berry and started gorging itself._

 _Little did he know that his actions were being monitored the whole time, by a power beyond his own comprehension. In the Realm of the Ancients, Arceus was still watching, but was soon interrupted when the renegade pokemon, Giratina, approached from behind to observe as well, and was a little shocked._

"Arceus, why are you watching this human? There are plenty of eligible pokemon to choose from. This is our problem, not the humans."

"It concerns all of us brother, especially the humans," _the alpha responded calmly,_ "And besides, pokemon are the ones being affected by the virus. Sure it may only be specific types now, but who's to say it won't start affecting the other types as well, and possibly even to humans?" _Giratina scoffed and grumbled for a moment, and took note of Atty's apparent injury as he limped._

"Well, even if I were to consider it, you could at least choose someone who isn't broken."

"I could, but what I'm looking for is more than just physical ability and raw power. What I seek is heart and compassion." _The ghost-dragon hybrid leered at Arceus, questioning his motives._

"But heart is not enough to protect us from the evil that surrounds us."

"Oh Giratina. My dear, close minded brother. I know you dislike the humans so, but this is a desperate time for all of us. So please, have a little faith, would you?" _The great dragon groaned and huffed, feeling a loss for words._

"Do what you want. But if things go sour, it'll be on your conscience."

"I'll keep that in mind." _He stared at the orb, pondering for moment, eventually coming to a conclusion._ "Darkrai!" _he called out. The dark pokemon appeared before him as if from nowhere._

"What is it, Arceus? I was in the middle of something, as per your orders."

"I know, but I need you to put your investigation on hold for a bit. There's something I need you to do…"


	2. Chapter 2

**This story is rated 'M' for future content.**

 **So finally managed to get this done. It's only a tad bit shorter than the first chapter, but that's okay. I feel the concept here may be a little cliche, because as some of you may be aware, the whole transforming from human to pokemon isn't a very uncommon thing when you think about it.**

 **So there are two references here. The first, regarding the shadow pokemon project, was from the colosseum a and XD. Both had an interesting story and a reasonable challenge depending on how you went about it. The second, regarding transforming from human to pokemon, is mystery dungeon. Also an interesting game.**

 **So, under the same circumstances, what choice would you make?**

 **As always, feel free to point out any spelling or punctuation errors. I will correct them when I can.**

* * *

 _As the day went by and Atty finished his routines, he finally had a some free time to himself, and decided to use it watching a little tv. He sat idly on the couch, flipping through the channels, his lycanroc and ninetales laying at either side of him, and his absol at his feet. He stroked around Luna's neck as she rested her head on her master's lap, murring quietly with content. Abby seemed pretty relaxed after taking the medicine given to her by her trainer, her eyes drooping lazily. Atty somehow found himself stopping on the news channel, it's main topic being of disappearances and missing persons. It was only a brief glance however, as it quickly changed to a weather report, which for tomorrow in his area was to be cloudy with a chance of rain. He gave a depressing sigh._ "Looks like we'll be staying in tomorrow." _The wolf pokemon looked up at him with a smile that seemed to reassure him._ "I guess it's not so bad. It'll give me a chance to do some things I've been putting off for a rainy day." _He took a look at the clock, noticing it was almost midnight, and gave a stretch and yawn as he sat up and grabbed his cane, Luna perking up almost immediately as her master grabbed his cane and gave the ninetales an affectionate pat on the head._ "I'm gonna head to bed, Val. Are you gonna stay here with Abby?" _The fox nodded with a smile._ "I'll see you in the morning then. Come on, Luna." _The wolf pokemon followed her master, quitel lazilyand ready to call it a night._

 _As Atty went through his night time routines, he couldn't help shaking the feeling that someone, or something, was watching him, aside from his lycanroc who waiting for him on the bed. His eyes wandered, but saw nothing. Maybe he was just imagining things since he was so tired. His eyelids were getting pretty heavy. Once he finished up, he headed to bed, laying the cane against his nightstand as he through the blankets over himself. He could feel Luna resting her head comfortably on his leg as they both slowly drifted off into a deep slumber._

 _Hours passed into the night. Luna woke up licking her lips, feeling a little parched. She hopped off the bed and headed into the kitchen for a drink. About a moment after she left, the atmosphere began to change. Atty's room grew foggy and chilly, enough for him to see his own breath, if he were awake. A shadowy figure entered the room, hovering above the floor, and approached his bedside. A dark hand was extended, slowly reaching for him, finally placing itself on his forehead. He let out a sharp gasp as his eyes sprung open, only to black out._

 _He wasn't sure how much time had passed. Minutes? Hours? When he finally came to, he found himself in an unfamiliar location. It was dimly lit and vacant of life. A pale mist traveled across the ground at his feet. As his vision cleared up, he noticed a figure directly in front of him that wasn't there before, and fell back from shock, looking up at something that was at least ten feet tall._ _It was a white equine like creature with a gray, vertically-striated underside, with a similar striated pattern recurring on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four pointed feet were tipped with gold hooves, and its long mane juts away from its head. Its face is gray, with green eyes and red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. It has a streak of gold coloration on its head, and ears that point upward. The neck is fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that is colored white like much of the body. To top it all off, it has a golden cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen. There was a unique glow to this creature. Atty didn't feel threatened at all, despite its rather intimidating glare. An aura appeared around it as he began to hear a voice._ "Greetings Atemis." _He was a little shocked at first, but he knew that some pokemon were capable of telepathy, especially the psychic type._ "I am Arceus. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Realm of the Ancients, home of the divine." _He looked around, completely dumbstruck._ "I'm sure you must have many questions. But they'll have to wait." _Arceus turned away, gesturing him to follow. He walked beside him, eventually coming across a pedestal with a glowing orb sitting in the center. He couldn't help but stare, it's unique glow shining all sorts of colors, which could only be described as being like a rainbow like shine._ "This is why I've brought you here. Look closely." _Atty peered deeply into the orb, straining his eyes a bit at first due to the glow. The vision finally cleared up, revealing a horrific scene. Pokemon with a strange, reddish glow about them were hunting and killing others, both human and pokemon alike, showing absolutely no mercy or remorse for either. The very sight of it made him physically ill. He had never thought pokemon could be so vicious… so evil. He then thought about what he saw on the news channel, about the people that went missing. This was the source of it, no question about it._ "As you can see, the balance of nature is in disarray, and the bond between man and pokemon is slipping. There is a great evil plaguing us, an evil in the form of a virus. Where it came from, I do not know. All I know is that it may be related to the shadow pokemon project. Where it started off to where they would attack people, they will now go so far as to kill." _His attention snapped to the alpha at the very mention of it._

"I remember that. Wasn't that shut down in the Orre region over ten years ago?"

 _Arceus nodded, looking down at the human._ "Yes. But it's possible some of the scientists responsible for it ran off with their research and have been working underground since then, tampering with the project. Making it stronger. Somehow enhancing it so that it can transmit to others like a virus. Of course, without any evidence to back this up, anything is but a guess." _The deity returned his attention to the orb, gesturing for Atty to look as well._ "Notice anything else? Something those pokemon have in common?" _He observed carefully, taking note of each of these 'savage' pokemon. The one's he saw were a houndoom, mightyena, banette, zoroark, haunter, and shiftry. After pondering for a moment, he finally realized it._

"They're all dark and ghost types."

"Yes. So far, those seem to be the only ones affected by the virus. But that is likely to change soon, which is why we must act fast."

 _Atty took a long moment to take it all in. The savage pokemon, the virus, the deity before him.. He couldn't be sure if any of this was real or not._ "Why are you telling me all of this?"

 _The alpha's attention quickly snapped to him._ "Because I… We need your help." _Atty stood motionless and speechless._

"What makes you think I can help you? I mean, I'm only human."

"This is true. But there's something different about you." _Arceus leaned in, becoming eye level with the human before it._ "I watched you today. The way you care for your pokemon, and your kindness to outsiders is truly remarkable. It's a rare thing to find these days among your kind." _He backed up a little, keeling slightly to the side as his leg flared up, causing him to cringe a bit and grab it. He let out a sigh._

"Even if I considered it, I'm not exactly what you'd call nimble."

"Yes, I'm aware of your condition. But what would you say if I told you we could fix it?" _Atty perked up almost immediately. Was Arceus serious about this? Could he really fix his leg? Is there a catch?_

"You can do that?"

"Not at this very moment. You see, my powers don't work on humans. But if you were to become one of us, then it would be no problem. " _Atty pondered for a long moment._

"Become one of you? You mean… become a pokemon?" _Arceus nodded._ "Is that even possible?"

"Mending the shape of living things is an ancient art that has served us well many times in the past. You wouldn't be the first, and certainly won't be the last." _He was at a loss for words. He was filled with joy, but that quickly faded as he thought about it more. On the one hand, he'd be able to walk freely again. No more pain or restrictions. And perhaps he could understand pokemon on a whole new level. On the other hand, he would have to give up his old life, and put himself on the line for the sake of human and pokemon alike. There were so many things to consider._ "You don't have to decide right away. Take some time to think it over." _Arceus looked off into the distance. Atty couldn't help but wonder what he was staring at. There was nothing to see for miles._ "It'll be morning soon. It's time for you to go. But first, a parting gift." _A figure appeared next the human as if from nowhere. He jumped in fright when he noticed, trying to make out the figure as it came to light. It was black and shadow like, possessing a small head with a white fog-like ghostly plume billowing from its head, covering one of its bright blue eyes, with the portion on its face resembling hair. It had a spiky growth around its neck, and it had skinny arms and long black tatters hanging from its shoulders. It also had black, claw-like hands and the slight appearance of an hourglass figure. Its build made it look as though it were wearing an old, ripped cloak._ "This is Darkrai. He's the one who brought you here." _Arceus looked at the pitch black pokemon._ "Darkrai, if you would?" _The shadow took Atty's hand, placing something in his palm. He looked and saw it was a stone of some sort glowing a blackish color that eerily matched that of the shadow pokemon next to him._ "If you decide to help us, then rub this between your hands to summon Darkrai. He'll take it from there." _The alpha looked and nodded at Darkrai, who nodded back in acknowledgment as he placed one of his hands on Atty's head. The chilly feeling he had early returned as he gasped at the dark one's touch. What happened after, he couldn't say, as everything had gone black again._

* * *

 _Atty sprang up from his sleep as though waking from a nightmare. He was wanting a little heavy, wiping some sweat from his forehead. He looked around and noticed he was back in his bed. He noticed his lycanroc sitting at the foot of his bed, who slowly raised her head, staring at him with droopy eyes and a yawn. She noticed her master's state of panic, cocking her head in confusion, and a look of worry. Atemis took a moment to calm down and collect his thoughts._ "I'm okay, Luna. Just a.. bad dream." _She gave a weak nod, still half asleep as she laid her head back down and drifted back to sleep. Atty looked at the window. The sun was judging by the weak light, he could tell it was dawn. He wasn't use to waking up this early, but found himself unable to fall back asleep. He sighed, slowly shuffling his way out of bed. He felt a bit of a pinch on his side as he sat up, reaching inside the pocket of his sleep pants and pulling out a small black stone. He recognized it immediately as the one given to him by Darkrai._ "So it wasn't a dream then.." _he said to himself. He placed the rock on his nightstand, grabbing his cane as he helped himself up and headed towards the restroom to splash water on his face. After waking himself , he headed down to start his earlier than normal day._

 _He went to the living room and almost collapsed on the couch, next to his Ninetails, who he could swear hadn't moved at all during the night. He could say the same for the absol sleeping on the floor. He couldn't help but stare at her though. A lot of thoughts rambled through his mind, especially what Arceus said about the virus affecting dark types. The very thought of it made him sick to his stomach, even more so at the thought of Abby becoming a victim of the plague. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he decided to move elsewhere. Val looked at him briefly before going back to sleep._

 _The sun was barely shining outside the kitchen window, dark clouds blocking it filling the sky which gave him a gloomy feeling. Atty knew it was about time for the others to wake up, so he decided to go ahead with breakfast. But with everything on his mind, he couldn't help but feel the need for a drink, despite how early it was. A bottle of red wine sat on the counter, within reach so he could easily take a sip as needed, which was a lot. By the time he finished fixing the dishes for his pokemon, he had already drunk half the bottle, and barely had a buzz. When he turned around, he just about spit out what little he had when he saw a familiar purple, large-eared feline staring at him from the doorway, and instead swallowed hard. There was an awkward moment of silence, at least for him. Jewel cocked an eyebrow. Although she couldn't speak to him directly, Atty knew full well what she was thinking._ "Don't look at me like that, Jewel, I had a very rough night." _She looked unswayed, tail wagging in the air slowly behind her. Regardless, he laid her dish down in front of her._ "If you went through what I did, you'd want a drink, too." _He walked by her without another word, a puzzled look left on the espeon's face. What exactly did he mean by what he went through?_

 _He proceeded to giving the rest their morning meals, but avoided any and all eye contact with them. He didn't bother to fix anything for himself, since he was too sick at his stomach to think about food. He sat alone outside the garden on his bench, hoping the fresh air and the scene of mother nature would help him relax, if only a little. It was raining, neither too hard nor light. The bench sat under an oak, which shielded him from the drizzle slightly. His eyes grew a little heavy, probably from waking up earlier than the norm, or perhaps from chugging wine. He snapped back to reality when he felt something nudge against his hand, looking down to notice his leafeon, Juniper look up at him lovingly. He smiled and patted the empty seat next to him, and she gladly and eagerly jumped up and laid across his lap. He stroked the grass pokemon gently from her neck to her lower back, causing a purr of content to escape from her. A pleasant aroma filled the air and his nostrils that seemed to help him relax more, almost like a sedative. It was hard to believe it was just the clean air a leafeon generates during photosynthesis, though how she was doing it during a rainy day was puzzling._ "You sensed my distress, didn't you June?" _She rubbed her head against his chest, her purrs growing louder as she vibrated against him._ "Or were you just looking for attention?" _A chuckle escaped from him as he hugged and kissed her on the forehead, a blush spreading across her face. Regardless of her intentions, he was glad to have her company. He was about to doze off when he felt a pinch in his side. Remembering the stone in his pocket, he pulled it out and stared at the black rock for a moment, his mind drifting away again. Juniper paid no attention though, as she was drifting off herself. But somehow she made it easier to grasp the whole situation. He twirled the stone anxiously between his fingers as pondered long and hard about what he should do._

* * *

 _Arceus watched through the magical orb as Atty struggled with his decision. The alpha sighed heavily as he awaited the human's decision. He was accompanied by the lunar pokemon, Cresselia. A deep and familiar voice caught their attention._

"You were so confident about this human earlier." _Giratina stood before them._ "Why not change him now?"

"You know it's not as simple as that, brother." _Arceus retained a calm stature as he spoke to the ghost-dragon hybrid,_ "Darkrai needs his consent to do so, or it won't work. It's a big decision. Atty needs time to think about it."

"Well, while you're sitting here waiting for a decision, innocents are being slaughtered, or turning up missing, no doubt being taken by those savages."

"Yes, I'm very much aware of that." _The alpha frowned and gave a depressing sigh. Cresselia leered at Giratina, standing, or rather floating between the two._

"Give Arceus a break, would you? This isn't exactly an easy time for any of us." _The dragon only scoffed, leering back at the psychic pokemon, a low growl coming from him._

"Stand aside, Cresselia. No one asked you." _He scorned her, only to be met eye to eye when she got up in his face, showing no signs of backing down._

"Make me." _The renegade snarled. The much smaller pink pokemon returned it._

"Stop it, both of you!" _The alpha's sudden outburst snapped them out of their conflict, both staring at him, a look of worry spreading on Cresselia's face. It was very difficult to upset Arceus, but all the pokemon in the Realm of the Ancients knew better than to try._ "I know this is a stressful time for everyone, but we can't afford to be fighting amongst ourselves."

 _Cresselia hung her head._ "I'm sorry, Arceus." _The same couldn't be said for Giratina, as he just rolled his eyes and walked away. Arceus returned his attention to the orb. Cresselia shortly joined him._ "What if he refuses?"

"Then we'll just have to keep looking. I hope that's not the case with this one. The search, and this outbreak… It's been very exhausting..."


	3. Chapter 3

_It was later the next day. Atty was sitting in the living room alone, twiddling the black stone between his fingers as he sat ruminating about what to. For what it was worth, Juniper's company made it much easier to grasp the situation. The absol, Abigail, walked in, but only seemed to be passing through, stopping for a brief moment to greet him with a loving smile. His thoughts began racing again. The words of Arceus continued to echo through his mind, eventually giving him a migraine._ "Maybe I should sleep on it," _he thought. He stood up and gave a stretch, retreating to his dorm for the night._

 _He had difficulty getting to sleep. The words of the alpha pokemon raced endlessly through his mind. As he mulled over it tirelessly, he sat up, noticing he was alone in his room. He paced back and forth as he reached his conclusion. If something ever happened to any of his pokemon, something he could've prevented, he could never live with himself. He grabbed the black stone and rubbed it between his hands, and waited. A moment later, the temperature in the room seemed to drop as a dark figure appeared before him._

"I take your beckoning means you've come to a decision." _Darkrai stood before him. Atemis nodded._ "So what will it be? Are you willing to leave your life as you know it behind, for the benefit and the safety of man and mon alike?"

"I am. Helping others has always been like a calling to me. If Arceus himself needs me, then it would feel wrong to refuse him." _Darkrai stared blankly for a moment, perhaps a bit surprised by his answer._ "How does this work exactly? What pokemon will I be?"

"The transmutation is performed by tapping into your life force, and unleashing the pokemon that resonates deep within your soul. As for what pokemon that is, I cannot say for certain. At least not until we start. Everyone is different." _Atty seemed to be in awe. Darkrai's words made it seem mystical in a way._ "But before we begin, I have one thing to ask you. Are you absolutely sure about this? Because once it's done, there's no going back." _Atty answered him with a nod._ "Very well. Be still." _Darkrai reached for him with his pitch black hand, touching Atty's forehead. An intense chill crept down the human's spine. The dark pokemon took a moment to read his energy._ "How curious. You didn't strike me as a dark type." _Before he could ask about it, his vision suddenly became blurry, his consciousness slowly drifting._ "Don't worry, you won't feel a thing. You will sleep for now. When you awaken, you will begin anew. Go forward from here, with the blessings of Arceus." _Darkrai's words were quickly becoming difficult to register, and soon enough, Atty completely blacked out._

* * *

 _How long was he out? He couldn't really say for sure. Minutes? Hours? His coma like state felt almost peaceful. The sound of a new voice slowly snapped him out of his dream state._ "Atemis." _The voice was feminine, very pleasant and comforting._ "It's time to wake up, child."

 _His eyes began to open. His vision was fuzzy, and he was pretty groggy, moaning in discomfort as he placed a hand, or so he thought, on his forehead._ "Uh.. my head."

"Oh, are you alright my dear?" _He felt a presence very close to him, looking beside him and noticing a bluish figure inspecting him. He jumped back in shock at the sight of the much larger entity. It was a quadrupedal, stag-like cervine creature with an eight-horned set of antlers extending out from its head, four on each side. The horns were pale blue and the protrusions the same blue as its upper body. The head was also blue with two horns on either side of its head, and the root of its horns mark its face, just below the eye and over the nose. Its eyes were the same color as its fur, and its pupils were X-shaped. The blue portion of its body ends at the chest area where the fur juts outward to the side, similar to the blue horns on its face. On its breast is an inverted V-shape that is also a pale blue like its eight horns. The inside of the V-shape is black and extends into its lower body. The rest of its body was black with a blue stripe running along the spine. It had a slim, fluffy black tail where the stripe ended. The legs were fashioned like blades with forward-pointing hooks at the tips, creating a cross shape, with the main edges trimmed with the same color as the horns. The trim along its forelegs further map a crude sword-like pattern, clearly showing a long blade, a cross-guard, and a hilt._ "What's wrong, hun? You look as if you've just seen a ghastly."

 _He took a moment to himself, trying to process the situation. He looked around and noticed he was in the middle of a large, open field that was was surrounded by forest, with trees that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. There was a river that ran through the area, dividing it in half. It was a breathtaking sight. He returned his attention to the large blue deer._ "What... Who are you? And where am I?"

"I am Xerneas. And this is my home. Let me be the first to welcome you."

 _He struggled a bit getting to his feet, staring at the deer in awe. Yet another legendary pokemon, one that appeared only in stories across the Kalos region, stood before him. From what he's read about Xerneas, she was believed to have the power to share eternal life, as well as the ability to create forests. She sounded like a true, benevolent force in nature._ "Xerneas.. wow. You're even more beautiful than I could've imagined."

 _She smiled warmly._ "Well, thank you sweetie. Now, I'm sure you must have a lot of questions."

 _He nodded, but choked a bit when he tried to speak. His throat was dry. He looked towards the river, and approached for a drink. When he caught a glimpse of himself, he jumped back in surprise. In his reflection, he saw a creature with a sleek, black body ,four slender legs, and golden eyes. He had long pointed ears and a bushy tail, each with a aqua colored band around them. His forehead and legs had aqua rings on them. He could immediately tell he was the dark type pokemon, umbreon. And a shiny one to boot._ "Darkrai... he really did it. I'm a pokemon."

"Yes, my dear." _Xerneas placed a comforting hoof gently on his shoulder, her reflection meeting his, and smiling lovingly._ "And a beautiful pokemon you are as well. I know this must be overwhelming for you. Just take it one hoof at a time."

 _He looked up at her, ears folded back,_ "Did Darkrai send me here?"

"Yes, child." Arceus has asked me to watch over you during this transition."

"Watch over me? So you're like... my guardian angel?"

 _She gave a chuckle,_ "Yes, you could say that."

 _Atty struggled a bit to stand as he tried to get use to his new form._ "So why am I here? In your realm?"

"I need to train you so you can get use to this body and your new abilities, so that you are prepared for whatever challenge lies ahead. It may take a bit of time."

"Training? You mean like battling?"

"Yes, and other important factors." _She turned around, gesturing him to follow,_ "Come with me." _Atemis tried to stay close, slowly but surely as they came to what looked like a training ground, similar to what he had at home. The only noticeable difference was the nearby river._ "Here we are. Here, I will teach you how to use and control and master your power." _Xerneas took a mental note of Atty's difficulty with his balance, struggling to keep himself up like a newborn calf._ "If I understand correctly, you received an injury as a human, correct? An injury that grew worse with time and limited your ability to move properly? Darkrai has removed this negative for you, but it's up to you to teach your new body how to balance itself." _The umbreon gave an acknowledging nod. It's true, he hadn't been able to walk on his own for so long. He always needed something to support himself._ "We'll start with something simple. Try to run a few laps around the field." _The exercise made sense. After all, what would be the point of learning how to battle and defend himself if he couldn't even stand on his own feet?_

"Um... okay." _There was a hint of doubt and hesitation in his voice. He tried walking a bit. It was easy enough, until he tried to pick up a little speed, tripping over himself and giving a grunt._

"Baby steps, hun. There's no need to rush." _He picked himself back up and tried again, taking it a paw at a time. After a while, he was able to move around without much trouble, as he went from walking to sprinting._ "Very good. Now then," _she pointed towards the straw stuffed dummy in the middle of the field,_ "try charging at this target and tackle it." _He looked at it and took a deep breath, quickly charging forward. When he reached and tackled his intended target, however, he was knocked back and dazed for a moment. The dummy, on the other hand, seemed unscathed._ "Good first try," _Xerneas encouraged,_ "but let me show you how it's done." _She glared at her target as Atty quickly got out of the way. As she readied herself, he noticed some her colors start to change._ _Her horns turned into a pale gold color, adorned with a colorful, three-part glowing protrusion twining through it, the colors being orange, red, purple, and teal, one side of the antlers mirroring the other. The colors gradually turned lighter to darker as they moved from base to tip. The V-shape on her chest and sword like pattern on her legs also turned pale gold, and many shiny, multicolored spots appeared on her backside. He was startled by her sudden change in appearance. She hunkered down and began charging at the target, lunging as she reached it and slammed into it with her horns lowered. The dummy was knocked off the ground and traveled a short distance. As she returned her attention to the umbreon, her colors returned to normal._

"H..how did you do that? The color change?"

"That was my 'active' form sweetie," _she answered._ "It happens whenever I engage in battle." _It was quite baffling and intriguing to watch a legendary in action first-hand. Just meeting one in person was something most could only dream of, now that he thought about it. Xerneas set up another target, and stood behind him._ "Try again, and this time try to put more weight into it." _He nodded, stepped back a little, charging at full speed once again. This time when he reached the dummy, he did as Xerneas said, trying his best to put as much weight as possible into his attack, striking head first and knocking his target clean off the ground._ "Wonderful. I knew you could do it." _Atty smiled as he was praised, feeling proud of himself, and much more confident._ "Let's move on. This next move is pretty much the same, but you need to get a good running start and build up some momentum. Try using a quick attack."

"A running start... Sounds easy enough." _He stepped back a bit further as another target was set up for him, dashing forward as normal. As he built up some speed, he could feel a sudden burst of energy surrounding him, and quickly gained a huge speed boost. He had underestimated it though, and quickly lost control, missing his mark entirely and instead diving head first into the river. As he swam back to the surface, he could hear Xerneas giggling in the background._

"That was unfortunate," _she said with a hoof covering her lips._ "Are you alright, dear?" _He said nothing for a moment with his ears drooping, and a frustrated look on his face. He felt a little weight on his head, looking up to meet the gaze of a teary eyed white and blue fish pokemon. He apparently fished up a wishiwashi during his splashy landing. He chucked his head forward, throwing the fish off and back into the river before swimming a short distance back to shore. He noticed the blue goddess was still giggling about his mishap as he stood there dripping water on the ground._

"I'm so glad you find my misfortune amusing." _He shook like a wet dog to get as much water off of himself as possible, afterwards tilting and patting his head to get out what had gotten in his ears._ "That speed was... really intense."

"Yes, it's a tricky move. Take a minute to dry off and we'll try again." _He took a few moments to himself, basking in the sun. It was much warmer since he had fur now, but not so warm that it was uncomfortable. After a few minutes, when he felt dry enough, he returned to his starting position, staring at the dummy in the distance and thinking to himself. He heard some words of encouragement from his mentor,_ "You can do this. Believe in yourself, concentrate, and push forward." _He charged once more, building up speed swiftly and focusing hard on his mark, this time when he got a burst of speed, he was in more control, cutting straight through the target and splitting it in half. He stopped himself just in time to avoid another dip in the river, quickly trying to catch his balance as he stared over the water's edge. He gave a sigh of relief when he caught himself._ "Excellent work, Atemis. You're a quick study. You need to work more on the aftermath, but other than that, your execution is wonderful."

"Um.. thanks, I guess." _He chuckled nervously, rubbing a paw behind his head._

* * *

 _Atty continued his training for the rest of the morning. With the guidance of Xerneas, he was quickly able to learn two more techniques, one being feint attack, the other confuse ray, although not without a few mishaps with the latter. He ended up confusing himself on accident and walked into a tree or two, but eventually got a grasp on it._

"I think that'll do for now," _Xerneas stated._ "What do you say we take a little break?" _Atty nodded with a huff, short of breath with all the exercise. He couldn't remember the last time he moved around so much. The fairy pokemon laid next to the stream. He shortly joined her, taking a seat next to the large deer._ "There's one more technique I'd like to show you, but we'll have to wait until later for that."

 _As he made himself comfortable, he had a startling realization. Just how long had he been there. It was probably almost noon at the very least._ "I don't know if I can stay much longer. The girls are probably wondering where I'm at by now."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that, my dear. Time flows differently here. One day in this forest would be equivalent to an hour in your world. Trust me, your pokemon won't even know you're gone."

 _Well that was a relief at least. But there was another issue he couldn't ignore._ "Even still, I don't know how they're going to react to this new form, and to this task Arceus is asking of me. Just how am I going to explain it to them?"

"You worry too much, my child," _Xerneas replied._ "Even if they don't believe it's you in this body, I'm sure you can convince them otherwise. You raised them after all. As for what my brother has asked of you, it's really up to you whether or not to tell them. But regardless of what you do, I've no doubt they will do everything within they're power to aid you. Their trust and belief in you is strong. Their love stronger. So strong that they would follow you to the ends of the earth, no matter what, for better or worse." _The umbreon was at lost for words. He could only nod in response._ "Well, now that we've settled this issue, let's move on and talk about your new form. How much do you know about the umbreon species?"

"Just the basic things. It's a dark type that evolves from an eevee at night and if it has a strong bond with its trainer."

"Yes, but there's more to it than just that," _Xerneas exclaimed._ "Your markings will glow brightly at night, but will also fade when you're on the hunt, which in turn, allows you to blend in easily with the darkness around you. But what makes an umbreon even more interesting is its ability to spray a poisonous sweat if it gets agitated or feels threatened."

 _Atty looked at her in amazement,_ "Poisonous sweat, huh? Interesting."

 _The legendary nodded,_ "Yes, it's an impressive defense mechanism. And it will happen naturally when you need it most." _The deer thought to herself a moment,_ "I think that's about everything you need to know."

 _The umbreon turned his gaze towards his reflection in the water. Everything that has happened the last few days felt so unbelievable. None of it seemed real. He had to pinch himself a few times to make sure it wasn't just some crazy dream. But it wasn't. He truly was, from this moment on, a pokemon._


	4. Chapter 4

**Note from author: I'm glad I was finally able to finish this chapter. It's been absolute chaos over here with money and moving to the new house. I thank you all for your patience, and even more for your feedback. Please let me know if you encounter any spelling or grammar errors. Hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.**

* * *

 _Atty practiced using his moves for hours. His muscles felt a little sore from all the recent exercise, but despite the mild discomfort, it felt good to be so active again. Xerneas called for him as it turned dark. The moon hung high overhead. It looked just like the moon people see everyday, but for some reason, in this realm, there was just something... mystical about it._

"Are you ready to learn your final move?" _she asked._ _The umbreon nodded._ "This move requires the moon to be overhead when you use it. And it will allow you to recover from any damage you may take in battle. It's called Moonlight. Umbreon have a unique connection to the moon, and can feed off it's power. Just close your eyes, breath deeply, and focus your energy on the night." _Atty did as he was told, closing his eyes and concentrating on the moon's energy, and the darkness around him. He could feel it's power surging through his body. The blue rings glowed brightly as the night slowly but surely restored him to peak condition. It was soothing and invigorating._ "Perfect," _the goddess said proudly. His eyes snapped open as she spoke to him once more._ "You have done very well, and have mastered four moves in such a short time. Very impressive, considering you weren't born a pokemon yourself."

 _He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck._ "Thanks. Is there anything else I need to learn?"

 _She shook her head,_ "You've learned everything I have to teach you. I have but one question for you, though. Do you think your ready to take on whatever challenges come your way?"

"I still have my doubts," _he answered._ "But yes, I think I am."

"Then I suppose it's time to send you back. But before I do, do you have any questions?"

"Just one. It's been bothering me since I got here."

"What is it, child?" _Xerneas tilted her head._

 _Atty twiddled his paws on the ground as he tried to speak._ "Arceus said the dark and ghost types are the only ones being affected by this virus. And yet, I've become one of those types myself. Won't the virus affect me as well."

"I highly doubt it. You are still partly human, despite the new form, and the virus purely affects pokemon. And even if you weren't, Arceus strongly believes your heart is too pure to be tainted by it."

 _It was certainly a relief to hear. If it turns out to be true that is. But there was another concern regarding one of his pokemon. The lone dark type of the group._ "Well, what about Abby?"

"You mean the absol?" _He nodded._ "Yes, I have wondered about that myself. Being a dark type herself, she is indeed prone to the virus. It would be risky to take her anywhere with you. If you're concerned for her safety, it may be best to leave her at home during your outings." _Atty shuddered a bit at her answer as his ears drooped slightly._ "But that is your call to make. Whatever you decide to do, you'll have our full support." _He nodded, and gave a disappointing sigh._ "Before I send you back, I have a parting gift for you." _He felt a presence behind him almost immediately, knowing it was Darkrai before he even turned around. The dark pokemon held a pendant with a curious gem that glowed several colors similar to Xerneas. Darkrai placed it around the umbreon's neck._ "This gem contains a small portion of my power. Keep this on you. If you are in need of guidance, simply rub it between your paws to summon me, as you did before with Darkrai. I will also use it to contact you if anything comes up."

 _Atty gave an acknowledging nod as he looked down at the stone, holding it in his paw as the glistening colors almost seemed to hypnotize him._ "What should I do once I'm back home?"

"Just stay put for now. I will let you know if something comes up. But if you need something to keep you busy in the meantime, there are certainly a lot of pokemon who could use your help. I can sense those who are in distress, and I will let you know where they are and the dangers to expect when I do." _He felt a chilling hand on his shoulder, meeting Darkrai's gaze._

"Are you ready?" _the mythical dark type asked._

"Y-yeah. I suppose," _Atty stuttered._

"Goodbye, Atemis. We will speak again soon." _He gave a respectful bow to the fairy pokemon. Everything slowly began to turn white as he bid farewell to Xerneas._

* * *

 _As the light faded and Atty regained consciousness, he felt something plush and cozy under him. He was back in his room, and on his bed. Only this time, he was an umbreon. He didn't see anyone else in the room at the moment, which was good. He needed a minute to figure out how to approach the others. A look at the clock in his nightstand revealed it was only four in the morning. Xerneas was right. It seemed that even a whole day in the Realm of the Ancients was only a few hours at home._

 _It wasn't long before he heard so footsteps. He recognized them right away before the silhouette of a wolf appeared at the door frame. Luna appeared half asleep as she wandered lazily into the bedroom. She only caught a glimpse of him as she stuttered,_ "Good morning, Master. Up a little early aren't you?" _He gulped as the lycanroc jumped up on the bed with him. It was only then that she noticed a complete stranger, taking a defensive stance and growling, teeth bared and body arched as she prepared to pounce._ "Who are you?! How did you get in here?!"

 _The umbreon jumped back into the headboard as his tail tucked between his legs._ "W-wait, Luna! It's met, Atty!"

"You expect me to believe that?" _She lunged at him, pinning him to the wall._ "What have you done with the master? Talk!"

"I am the master, Luna." _He stuttered as he tried to look away from the wolf. She scoffed._

"I guess we gotta do this the hard way then." _She brought her fangs close to his neck with the intent to inflict as much pain as possible. He shut his eyes tight as he felt the rock type's breath against his fur. Then suddenly, she stopped, and started sniffing him as a familiar scent filled her nostrils. Her ears dropped as she backed off and released him._ "Your scent. Can it really be? M..master Atty?" He nodded. "But... How is this possible?"

 _He gave a relieving sigh as he regained his composure._ "It's a long story." _Atty explained to her about everything that had been happening since the other day. He talked about meeting Arceus, being changed by Darkrai, and training with Xerneas. Luna felt a mixture of shock and awe, and didn't quite know what to make of the situation._ "Listen, I need you to gather the others together. I'd rather explain this to all of you all once."

"S-sure. No problem." _She hopped off the bed and left him alone in his bedroom. He felt as though a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders, but at the same time he had never been so scared before, especially of his own pokemon. At least that part was over with. He couldn't help but wonder how the others would react, though..._

* * *

 _He waited for a moment, thinking things over as he awaited the lycanroc's return. Convincing her wasn't as hard as he thought, but he wondered how the rest would take it. If they would believe him at all, that is. Luna finally returned a few minutes later._

"They're waiting. Whenever you're ready." _He nodded, arching his back and stretching as he followed the wolf downstairs._

 _He followed Luna to the living room, where he saw four others sitting idly waiting for him. Someone was missing. He looked to the wolf pokemon at his side._ "Would you please go find Jewel?" _She gave a nod and left him alone with the others. Their staring made him feel a little uneasy. He wondered what was going on through their minds. He still didn't know how he was going to tell them the news._

 _Luna returned moments later with the espeon close behind. Jewel noticed the umbreon, and gave what he could only describe as a seductive smile and flirtatious eyes, approaching slowly with hips swaying and her tail wagging slowly in the air._ "Well now, who is this handsome fellow?"

 _Atty blushed hard, left completely speechless as she came closer._ "M-me?"

"Yes silly, who else?" _She was face to face with him now._ "So tell me," _the espeon began to circle him, brushing her body against his with her tail caressing his neck and chin,_ "what's a cutie like you doing here? You a friend of Luna? A gentleman caller perhaps?"

"Uh, I... I." _The umbreon wanted to tell her who he was, but he just couldn't get the words out. It was also hard to grasp his espeon's behavior. All he could do was blush and stutter._

"A shy one, are you? I like that." _She chuckled and gave him a lick on the nose, causing him to jump in surprise and blush hard. She giggled._ "By the way, where's Atty? Luna said he had an announcement." _The lycanroc snickered with a paw covering her mouth._ "What's so funny?"

"This umbreon...," _the wolf had to muster all her willpower to keep herself from bursting out laughing._ "He IS Atty."

"What?!" _Everyone shouted at once. Atty chuckled nervously as the unnerving stares returned._

"Um.. hi everyone."

"A-Atemis?" _Jewel stared unblinking for a moment, but quickly returned with that seductive glare and tone of voice._ "Well, now this is interesting. This new look suites you nicely." _The espeon brushed up against him, purring._ "How about you and I sneak off for a little fun in the morning sun?" _she said with a wink. Atty choked a bit, blushing harder than before as his heart raced and his legs almost turned to jelly. Luna stepped between the two and tried desperately to break them apart._

"Not now, Jewel," _the lycanroc said with a huff._

"What's the matter, Luna? Feeling left out? We can share. I don't mind." _Her response only encouraged an angry snarl from the wolf, causing her to hunker down with her ears folded and her tail tucked between her legs._ "I'll be good."

"Well, I don't believe it one bit." _An angry tone filled the room. Everyone's attention shifted towards the luxray as she approached the umbreon._ "There's no way this is Atemis. Humans don't turn into pokemon. It's impossible."

"But it's true, Tess," _Luna spoke out._

"Oh really?" _The lioness got up in his face. Her piercing red and yellow eyes brought fear to him. His heart skipped a beat, his ears folded, and his tail tucked as she stared him down._ "How do we know this runt isn't just some stray that wandered in here. How do we know he didn't do something with the real Atemis?"

"Tess you're being ridiculous," _Luna leered._

"No, I'm being rational. Something you whelps wouldn't anything know about." _She scoffed._ "If you really are Master Atemis, why don't you tell us something only he would know?" _Atty felt confounded. He always knew she was headstrong and hot headed, but to experience it first-hand was unsettling._ "Well? We're waiting."

 _He sat speechless as he tried to think of something quick to satisfy the luxray. He looked among the other five and caught a glimpse of the leafeon hiding in the background. Everyone seemed stressed about Tess's outburst, but none so much as her. She was trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. There was something about her Atty had never noticed before. There was... a unique glow about her. He was filled with conflicting feelings. Feelings he couldn't yet describe. It was then he thought of his answer. His appeasement to the angry lioness._ "Juniper!" _he called out. The grass pokemon perked and looked towards him as he shoved the electric type out of the way and approached her. He looked deep into her brown eyes, making her blush as she stared back. His voice grew softer as he spoke to the leafeon._ "June. Do you remember how I came up with your name? We were taking a stroll through the forest and took a break near a blooming juniper tree. I knew then and there what I wanted to call you. I even started calling you my little flower because if how beautiful and delicate you are."

 _Her blush grew brighter. She smiled sheepishly._ "I...I've never mentioned that to anyone. Atty's the only one who ever calls me flower." _She rested her head against him with a purr._ "I... do remember that day. It was a warm spring afternoon, and you were just released from the hospital after your injury. That moment was when I..." _She paused for a minute and looked the umbreon in the eye. She choked for a moment, and her face turned red and hot._ "Uh.. that was the moment I knew.. you were the trainer for me." _The leafeon chuckled nervously. Atty cocked his head at her. He knew she was shy, but had never seen her like this before. Atty felt a nudge on his side, and as he looked, he was meet face to face with the ninetales, Valentine._

"So it really is you, then." _He nodded._ "Well, you have our attention now. What is it you wanted to tell us, Atty?"

 _He gave a sigh._ "It's a long, crazy story."

* * *

 _Atty explained everything to his team. About meeting the legendary pokemon in the Realm of the Ancients, training with Xerneas, and the evil that Arceus had warned about. The more detail he went into, the more unbelievable it seemed. They all stared at him in shock. At first there was silence, until Val spoke up._

"So this virus," she started, "how much does Arceus know about it?"

"Not much," _the umbreon answered,_ "other that it makes specific types of pokemon extremely aggressive."

"And he thinks you can stop it?"

"He certainly seemed sure of it. But still, I have my doubts. I can only hope he's right about me." _He felt a nudge on his side. Luna was looking at him with a reassuring smile._

"No matter what happens," _the lycanroc said,_ "we'll be right behind you. We've always believed in you, just as you've always believed in us." _She brushed her cheek against his own as she tried to comfort her master._

"Thank you, Luna."

"So, what is it Arceus wants us to do?" _Val continued._

"Nothing until they learn more about the virus. Until then, Xerneas has some other tasks for us. There's a lot of pokemon out there who need our help."

"But Master Atty," _Luna interrupted for a moment,_ "how will we find the ones in need?"

"Xerneas has the ability to sense those in distress. She'll tell me if anything comes up."

"Why should we wait at all?" _Tess snap, and suddenly all eyes were on her._ "We should be taking action. Staying here is just a waste of power and skill for someone like me."

"Xerneas said to stay put, Tess," _the umbreon exclaimed._ "And even if I were to consider disobeying a legendary pokemon like her, charging in head on still isn't the answer. We don't know what to expect."

"If you wanna wait for orders like some obedient lackey, then it's no fur off my back." _She started bolting out, until she was stopped when Luna stepped in front of her._

"This isn't the time for your nonsense, Tess."

"What you call nonsense," _the angry cat leered,_ "I call confidence."

"And what you call confidence, the rest of us call arrogance. It's only gonna get you killed."

"Get out of my way, mutt!" _The luxray's anger continued to grow._

"No." _The lycanroc snarled._ "This isn't about your strength or your ego. Atemis needs us more than ever now. If he thinks we should stay put, we should at least be willing to do so."

 _Tess returned the growl and glared down at the wolf._ "I don't know if you've noticed, but Atty isn't human anymore, which means I no longer have to listen to him." _She shoved the canine aside and continued her path, then stopped and looked back through the corner of her eye with a chuckle._ "But I suppose I could humor you. Once." _They waited until she left and was out of earshot. Luna smacked a paw on the ground and huffed._

"Ugh, I can't stand her! Someone really needs to put that bitch in her place." _She took a moment to regain her composure before returning to the group._ "Don't listen to her, Master. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Like I said, we'll support you no matter what."

"I appreciate that, Luna." _He smiled._

"Is there anything else you need to tell us?" _The ninetales jumped in._

"Not right now. You can return to your normal routines for now." _They all nodded, and left the room one at a time. Jewel was the last one out, and before leaving, she looked towards the umbreon one last time._

"If you're ever in the need of some 'company', Atty, my invitation still stands," _the espeon said with a seductive tone, a wink, and wiggle of her hips. He almost choked, and was only able to give a nervous chuckle with a hard blush as she finally left him alone._


End file.
